Punk Grows Up: Review of Cloud Nothings' "Here and Nowhere Else"

Cloud Nothings

If punk rock was a child, being born in the mid-1970s, it would now be approaching middle-age.  The genre has seen many mutations - from the "1-2-3-4" of The Ramones to the sneering British version to California and D.C. hardcore to the bubblegum punk-pop of the late '90s and early 2000's.  It has been nice to see punk mature in the music of bands like Against Me!, Bad Religion, Gaslight Anthem, and Cloud Nothings.

Now, Cloud Nothings are not middle-aged rockers like Bad Religion.  They are all young musicians, having only been around for about six years, and "Here and Nowhere Else" is only their third album.  But the punk sound is now more mature.  It is no longer just thrashing guitars thrown together with sloppily-screamed lyrics with every song held together with the "punk gallop" drumbeats.  (Remember G.B.H.?)  The songs are now carefully crafted and even melodic.  The songs of Cloud Nothings are longer than two minutes and put together so well that you don't have to be a fan of punk to appreciate their music.  Every song is driven by a freight train of percussion, the locomotive beats clipping along, pulling with it a heavy bass and buzzsaw guitars.  Dylan Bondi's voice sometimes growls, sometimes screams, but mostly sings pensively the thoughtful lyrics.  There is even a song, "Pattern Walks", that dissolves into an avant-garde, progressive wall of noise for a solid minute that would make Sonic Youth proud.  This is a more mature punk sound.  It reminds me quite a bit of D.I. or even Descendents in the '80s, and Sunny Day Real Estate in the '90s.  It is not really pop, because it retains its artistic integrity.  But it is not screamo, either.

Many of the selections are aggressive and furious like the opening track "Now Here In", "Just See Fear", and "No Thoughts."  My favorites are the songs that start out subdued and then slowly go critical, like "Quieter Today" and "Psychic Trauma".  "I'm Not A Part of Me" is the main single, and it is probably my least favorite song on here.

This music is definitely mosh-worthy.  I will probably like these guys for a while and will probably be checking out their back catalog.  I'm glad to be a guy in my 40s who still enjoys punk.